David Galloway

Depending on the size of your dog you may have to deal with a lot of crap each day. Normally your options are to bag it and throw it away or leave it on the ground but why not reduce landfill waste and build a pet poop composter for your yard using an old plastic or metal garbage can.

Household weblog Shelterrific recommends building a composter for pet poop as a way to turn animal waste into a useful product. Simply drill many large holes all over the sides of your garbage can except for the top few inches that will be above ground. Next cut off the bottom of the can with a reciprocating saw or other method and dig a hole to fit the garbage can; you'll want it to stick up a few inches but not enough that any holes are visible. Place the can in the hole, fill the outside of the can with dirt to secure it in place, add a few loose rocks at the bottom for drainage, and add in a dose of septic or compost starter after your first few deposits.

If your cat litter is biodegradable (see our tip for using wood pellets as cat litter) you can also toss it in the pet waste composter. Keep in mind that any compost generated this way should only be used on ornamental plants and not on vegetables you intend to eat because pathogens in pet wastes could possibly make their way into your tomato plants but pet waste compost works great for ornamentals or flowers.